Nha Trang: 6 Things To Do For First Timers

Nha Trang, also known as the Riviera of the South China Sea, is Vietnam’s only coastal city. Offering a myriad of sightseeing and recreational activities, Nha Trang has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Vietnam with many kinds of tourism such as ecotourism, leisure travel, community travel, adventure travel and so on.

Read More: 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Crazy House in Đà Lạt

Visit Long Son Pagoda

For great views overlooking the city, head over to Long Son Pagoda where a giant Buddha mounted on a hill. At the bottom you can peek inside the temple, continue you way upwards you’ll come across a giant reclining Buddha, a picturesque pagoda, and then finally the white Buddha at the very top.

Have fun at Vinpearl Land

Situated on Hon Tre Island, the Vinpearl is connected to the mainland of Nha Trang via a 3,320-meters sea-crossing cable car, which offers dazzling views of the bay along the way. If you missed Vinpearl land in Phú Quốc, I highly recommend to visit this one!

Explore Ponagar Cham Tower

This is probably one of the most touristy thing to do in Nha Trang. Built between the 7th and 12th centuries, Ponagar Cham Tower is the legacy of Champa kingdom. Today, it is still function as a worshiping site for Buddhists.

Admission: 22,000 VND (US$1)

Awed by Nha Trang Cathedral

A must-visit for any first-time visitor, Nha Trang Cathedral is the largest church in the city. Set atop a hill, its remains is one of the coastal town’s most important remnants of French-Gothic style architecture. There are two paths which lead up to the cathedral: Take a 53-step stone stairway from Thai Nguyan Street or another stone pathway from the city square.

Try A Mud Bathing

Soaking in a tub of mud feels as eccentric as it sounds, but it has become a quintessential Nha Trang’s experience. The mud is claimed to have all sorts of healthy, therapeutic properties. Other than mud bath, the facilities usually include Jacuzzi, mineral water swimming pools and other novelties for a full day hydrotherapy extravaganza. According to the local people, going for a mud bathing can make your skin soft.

Eat at local places

To try real Vietnamese street food you’ll have to get out of the tourist centre. Here are 3 local places we had tried during our short stay in Nha Trang, and we think you should too!

Duck Hotpot

Drawing a predominantly Vietnamese crowd, Quán Vịt Tiềm is particularly popular for its herbal duck hotpot, which is served with vegetables, rice noodles, chopped lemongrass, as well as Nha Trang’s signature fish sauce. Expect to spend about 300,000 VND (US$13) for your meal for 2 people.

Opening Hours: 11:00 a.m – midnight

Address: 69 Bạch Đằng Street, Nha Trang

Avocado Ice-cream

Just opposite the street where we had herbal duck hotpot, we chanced upon a dessert shop, Vfruit, which served awesome, creamy avocado ice-cream.

Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m – 10:00 p.m

Address: 24 Tô Hiến Thành, Nha Trang

Bánh Xèo

Known as Vietnamese crepes (translated as “sizzling cake”), Bánh Xèo is one of the popular snacks widely eaten by the locals as well as tourists. As much as the style of Bánh Xèo is made vary somewhat throughout Vietnam, the ones in Nha Trang often prepared it with seafood. In Nha Trang, we had the biggest (25-centimeters of diameter) and probably the most delicious Bánh Xèo in Vietnam. 

Opening Hours: 4:00 p.m till ingredients sold out

Address: 85 Tô Hiến Thành, Nha Trang

Getting to Nha Trang

The distance between Đà Lạt to Nha Trang is 140-kilometers and take about 4-hours to travel by bus. There are 2 buses running daily by Sinh Tourist and cost about 119,000 VND (US$6).

Lastly, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @wanderrsaurus on Instagram!

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